PDP credibility, acceptability nearly irreparably damaged, says Okupe
http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Dr.-Doyin-Okupe...PDP-chieftain-and-ex-SSA-to-President-Jonathan..jpgNIGERIA: FORMER Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has lamented the state of credibility and acceptability of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before Nigerians.
Okupe, who predicted the split of the then opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) within a year but goofed, said that a lot of image destruction had affected the PDP in the eyes of Nigerians.
While welcoming moves to “drive the mobilisation of members” of the once ruling party at the federal level, under Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the ex-special assistant said: “I personally felt good that at last some people were thinking of the future of the party.”
“However I sincerely do not think mobilisation is the immediate thing the Pdp needs now,” Okupe said on his Facebook, adding: “The party has suffered very serious bashing if not bastardisation from the sustained avalanche of assaults from the gigantic propaganda machinery of the now ruling party the APC.”
He stressed: “The credibility of the party as a veritable political alternative to the APC has been nearly irreparably damaged. Some of the recent disclosures and more that may come up from the impending probes will further damage the national acceptability of the party.
“At the end of the day the APC may not meet up the expectations of Nigerians or may in fact fail outrightly over time but the PDP as it is presently constituted will not be an acceptable alternative to majority of Nigerians now or in future.”
“The APC and the PDP have become two sides of the same coin,” he said, while further stressing: “No clear philosophy. No ideology or central motivating theme. No clear policy objectives. No true leadership. No defining party character or style. Only contestants, aspirants and office seekers. No party discipline, pedigree or ethics.”
He added: “The truth is that some people put together a strong coalition to wrestle power from the military. That coalition gave birth to PDP which held the power for 16 years until some other people put up another coalition for the sole purpose of wrestling power from PDP. This they successfully did in March 2015.”
According to him, the time has come for PDP, “if it must remain politically relevant,” to begin total overhaul and reformation.
He said also that the party must “engage Nigerians in a new coalition for the sole purpose of putting our dear country on the true path to the true, real and the enduring change that will once and for all establish us as a major global player.”
While alluding that the present rulers are “pretenders that we presently are”, Okupe said: “The PDP must reform lest it dies, God forbids, a painful and insidious death.”
